Anywhere You Go
by Naodrith
Summary: Iori, now 13, has fallen in love with Nex. However, there's no time for young love with the Digital Eliminator trying to destroy the Digital World...
1. Digital Gates

Author's Notes: I do not own Digimon, the characters, or their world. I do, however, own Nex. I would absolutely LOVE to own Ken. In this story, the Digimon are not able to come to the real world unless they are partnered with a digidestined. The ages in this story are as follows:  
Iori/Nex--13--8th grade  
Ken/Hikari/Takeru/Daisuke--15--Sophomore year  
Miyako--16--Junior year  
  
Chapter I  
"Digital Gates"  
  
Iori Hida's jade eyes lit up when he saw the lavender-haired girl running toward him. "Miyako!" he shouted, waving wildly.  
  
Miyako Inoue waved back as she hurried toward him across Odaiba Park. Iori still couldn't get used to seeing her without her large glasses, but she had decided when she was 13 to get contacts instead. She reached him after a moment and skidded to a stop, panting. "Nice...to see...you...Iori," she managed to say.  
  
"This reunion was a wonderful idea," Hikari added, coming up from the other side.  
  
Iori grinned at them. "One of my more brilliant plans, yes?"  
  
Takeru, accompanying Hikari, nodded sagely. "We haven't all been together since middle school."  
  
"Where are Daisuke and Ken?" Miyako asked.  
  
"Right here," the boys chorused as they walked up to their friends. Ken's hair was tousled, while Daisuke had a fresh scratch on his cheek. "Fresh from a soccer game," Daisuke added.  
  
"We won," Ken stated simply, a broad grin on his face.  
  
"It's good to see you all," Hikari said happily. "Spring vacation is the perfect time to get together, isn't it? Especially when there's no homework."  
  
"Not for you," Miyako said. "We've got a term paper to work on for English." She sighed. "I detest English."  
  
"I'll help you, Miyako," Ken offered. "I'm fairly good at English."  
  
"Really?" Miyako cried. "Thanks, Ken!" She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. Ken blushed.  
  
Iori looked around at his friends. It was good to be together again.  
  
*  
  
Iori sighed as he slid into his seat. Another boring school day. He wished that the picnic with his friends could've been longer. They were all so much older than him, that was the problem. They rarely saw each other. At least next year he'd be at high school with them...until Miyako graduated the year after that.  
  
The door swung open, and Mr. Takushi stood up. "Please, class, welcome our newest student, Nexira Hatoshi."  
  
Iori looked up and opened his eyes much wider than usual. Nexira was...pretty. No, that was the understatement of the year. She had dark curls and smoky gray eyes, and wore a very nice sakura-colored dress that swished around her ankles. She looked straight at Iori and smiled. His heart leapt in his chest.  
  
"Nexira, sit next to Iori Hida," Mr. Takushi instructed. Nexira nodded and swished over to the empty seat beside Iori.  
  
"Hello," she said in a soft, lilting voice. "I'm Nex."  
  
"Iori," he managed to say. "You're..." ~The most beautiful creature on the planet.~ "--new to Odaiba?"  
  
"Yes, from Tokyo," Nex replied, lowering her gray eyes.  
  
They did not talk more for the rest of the lesson, although Iori silently composed what he wanted to say to her. ~I think you're beautiful. You have an amazing voice. I'm in love with you.~  
  
And indeed, he was.  
  
*  
  
Iori sat down at his computer late that night and logged onto the Internet to start researching a paper. Maybe Ken would help him...if Ken was online.  
  
He wasn't. She was.  
  
"Hello, Iori," Nex typed through Instant Messenger.  
  
"Hi," he tapped back.  
  
"It's nice to talk to you again."  
  
"You, too, Nex."  
  
"What's your report on?"  
  
"The Sioux of the United States. You?"  
  
"The Maya of Mexico. I like your topic."  
  
"Yours is interesting." Iori winced as he sent that message. How he wished they knew each other better!  
  
His screen beeped at him and he clicked on the new page that had opened.  
  
A Digital Gate.  
  
At the same time, Ken, Daisuke, Hikari, Takeru, and Miyako all logged on. Each sent him a variance on the same simple but frightening sentence: "A Digital Gate opened for me! For you?"  
  
He typed "yes" five times and then quickly went back to the conversation with Nex.  
  
"Are these your friends? They are on your Friend List. Why are they all on now?"  
  
How did Nex see his list? Iori frowned and looked at the Digital Gate. Why had it opened? So many questions. So few answers.  
  
"Iori?" Nex asked.  
  
He typed quickly, "We meet at this time every Monday night to talk."  
  
"Ah. I see. I must go now."  
  
"All right..."  
  
"Iori?"  
  
He started to type, "Yes?" but another IM flashed onto the screen.  
  
"I think you're cute."  
  
Iori exulted as she logged off. She thought he was cute! Maybe he would ask her on a date. He was 13, he should be allowed to date. His grandfather wouldn't mind. He simply wouldn't tell his mother.  
  
"Iori?" five IM's asked simultaneously. He jumped and clicked on the button to enable himself to enter a chatroom.  
  
Ken: Finally. What took you so long, Iori?  
Iori: I was talking to Nex.  
Hikari: Who?  
Miyako: Who?  
Iori: Nex. She's new at my school. She's real pretty.  
Daisuke: You like her? Let me give you some tips.  
Takeru: Not now, Daisuke.  
Hikari: We have problems.  
  
INCOMING MAIL danced across Iori's screen. He opened the new email from nexus_eliminus@yahoo.com.  
  
Give up. The Digital World is mine. Just try using the Digital Gates. I have blocked them. Give up while you can.  
  
Nexus Eliminus.  
  
Iori shuddered as his friends reported that they, too, had received email from Nexus Eliminus. The Digital Gates were down.  
  
Something tugged at Iori. Where had he heard the email address nexus_eliminus@yahoo.com before? He was positive he had.  
  
Oh, well. They could think about this tomorrow after school. Right now, he was tired and going to bed.  
  
Hopefully to dream about Nexira Hatoshi.  
  
*  
  
Nex wasn't at school the next day, however. That made Iori incredibly depressed. He managed to get through the day, then hurried to the elementary school to meet with his friends. Koushiro and Yamato joined them. The other older digidestined were occupied with college; Koushiro and Yamato went to a college that hadn't finished spring break yet.  
  
Koushiro sat down at one of the computers and began to type rapidly. A Digital Gate opened for him, but showed red. Closed.  
  
"This is so strange," Yamato noted, bending over to look at the screen. "Why should this happen? You guys saved the Digital World--forever. Right?"  
  
"Right," Ken said. Iori glanced at the older boy. Ken seemed strangely subdued, his indigo hair brushing oddly pale cheeks. It appeared that Iori was the only one who had noticed. He didn't mention it.  
  
The computer beeped, and the Digital Gate opened. All eight of the present digidestined exchanged glances. A dark mist swirled out of the computer. Kari screamed. Ken coughed.  
  
The next thing they knew, all of them had been dragged into the Digital World.  
  
  
Author's Notes: Next chapter, we will meet Nexus Eliminus, the Digital Eliminator, and her strange partner, Shadowmon. The digidestined will be drawn into great evil, and we will suffer one of my famed near-death experiences!  
Ken: Oh, no. Not again.  
Casia: This always happens to us.  
You're not in this story, Casia...  
Casia: That doesn't make me not your Muse.  
Well, if you're my Muse, you're the one who inspires me to great evilness and morbidia.  
Ken: Casia, how could you?  
Casia: You're her other Muse!  
Ken: No, I'm her favorite digidestined and current crush.  
Not true. I like Legolas. Besides, my crushes drive me to torture them.  
Ken and Casia: ...crap.  
Ken: Then it's both our faults.  
Casia: I think I'm glad I didn't end up in this...


	2. Digital Game

Author's Notes: I do not own Digimon, the characters, or their world. I own Nex, Shadowmon, and the Digital Eliminator. I also own Ria. And KEN! I OWN KEN! I DO! I DO! I DO! HE IS MINE! *ahem* To make it easier, here are the ages of the Digidestined in the Digiworld.  
Iori/Miyako--13  
Daisuke/Ken/Hikari/Takeru/Taichi/Sora--11  
Koushiro/Mimi--10  
Yamato--14  
Jyou--16  
Yes, I know. I favor them younger. INCREDIBLY younger. The only exceptions to this general rule are Miyako, Iori, Yamato, and Jyou. My reasons? For Iori, it's a secret. Yamato and Jyou have much cooler hairstyles in 02. And Miyako? I was just bored of all the not-changed-at-all ages. :)  
  
Chapter II  
"Digital Game"  
  
Iori, Miyako, Hikari, Takeru, Daisuke, Koushiro, Yamato, and Ken tumbled out of the dark mist and onto the ground. All eight made noises of decided pain.  
  
"What just happened?" Takeru asked, rubbing his head and glancing around.  
  
Hikari screamed and pointed at Takeru. "Oh, my God! Look!"  
  
Everyone looked around, and consequently paled.  
  
Koushiro was ten years old again. Yamato was fourteen. Iori had remained thirteen, Miyako was about thirteen, and the others were all eleven--complete with clothing and hairstyles. Ken twirled a lock of indigo hair between his fingers. "Well, this is certainly a development."  
  
Koushiro groaned. "This is awful! My hair hasn't been this long and spiky since I was..."  
  
"Ten," Yamato supplied. "You ARE ten! You look and sound exactly like you did the first time we ever went to the Digiworld! And I'm fourteen again..."  
  
"LOOK AT ME!" Miyako screeched. "I HAVE GLASSES!"

"Calm down," Iori said rationally.  
  
"Well, it's fine for you!" Daisuke cried, hyperventilating. "Not that I mind the goggles, but..."  
  
Iori watched his friends, who were in various states of panic. "Well, obviously this happened for a reason."  
  
"Of course," a new, but slightly familiar, voice said smoothly. Iori spun around to see a girl drop from a nearby tree. Black hair fell in curls around a pale face. The girl wore blue-tinted glasses to hide her eyes, and was dressed in clothing much like those that Ken had worn as the Kaizer, only of darker colors. Instead of a whip, she carried a sharp rapier. There seemed to be a shadow glowing around her.  
  
"Who are you?" Hikari cried.  
  
The girl smirked. "I am the Digital Eliminator, Nexus Eliminus. It is I who have changed your ages to suit my own personal needs. Something you, Ichijouji, could not do."  
  
Ken glared at her, fists clenched.  
  
Iori managed to get his vocal cords working. "You're trying to eliminate the Digital World?"  
  
"Obviously, Hida. That's why I chose the name Eliminator." She smirked at him. "You are truly pathetic, Chosen of the Digiworld. You haven't even got your digimon at this particular moment in time. Why should you defeat me and my Shadowmon?"  
  
The shadow around her whipped her hair dramatically back from her temples before rising to congeal in a cloud above her. "Nexusssss," it hissed, "may I desssstroy them?"  
  
"Not yet, Shadowmon." She lowered her glasses for the fraction of a second to peer at them, then covered her eyes before Iori could see what color they were. "I'm going to play with them."  
  
"Like Puppetmon?" Yamato asked bitterly.  
  
Nexus laughed cruelly. "Not exactly, my dear Ishida. Not exactly." She snapped her fingers. "Shadowmon, show them."  
  
Shadowmon spun around, forming a dark circle around an image of a girl. She was dirty and ragged, her blonde hair tangled. "That," Nexus stated, "is my slave, Ria. Not even you, Ichijouji, made a human your slave. Now, my pets, the game is that you have 24 hours to save Ria. You may call your...friends...to help you. At the end of 24 hours, if you have found her, you earn her freedom and the knowledge she possesses. If you haven't, I win, and you will be thrown back into your own world, without another chance. Do you agree?"  
  
The digidestined exchanged looks, and then Daisuke nodded grimly. "We agree. But--our digimon--"  
  
"Will find you presently." Nexus waved at them. "Toodle-oo, digidestined. See you in 24 hours." Shadowmon curled around her waist and lifted her up, carrying her swiftly out of sight.  
  
Yamato promptly cursed. "This is disgusting!" he cried. "A human for a slave!"  
  
"Well, we're going to save her," Miyako pointed out.  
  
"We can't spare 24 hours, and the others can't, either," Takeru said rationally.  
  
"We have to, Takeru," Hikari pointed out, snuggling against them.  
  
He sighed. "Fine. Let's email the others."  
  
*

One of their precious hours was wasted while the others found ways to get into the Digiworld without arousing suspicion. Eventually, everyone managed to tumble into the forest. Taichi and Sora had become eleven. Jyou was sixteen again. Mimi, like Koushiro, was ten, to her great dismay. She, Sora, and Miyako immediately began wailing--Miyako was set off by a fresh reminder from Taichi that she had glasses again. Sora was angry about her helmet, while Mimi sobbed on Jyou's shoulder about her hair.  
  
"So," Taichi said brightly.  
  
"I hate this," Mimi said darkly.  
  
"We should get going," Iori said neutrally. He unobstrusively glanced at Ken, who had been silent since before the Eliminator had appeared. It was strange to see his friend younger than him—but stranger still to see him so depressed. Lonely.  
  
Frightened?  
  
Iori shook it off and stood up straighter as Takeru replied, "Yeah, let's go. We only have about 23 hours left to save that girl."  
  
The others nodded, and the digidestined trooped off into the forest.  
  
*  
  
Ria watched through her enchanted mirror and sighed as it turned off, showing only her reflection. That signified that someone had entered the room. She turned, expecting to see Nexus.  
  
It wasn't.  
  
"Are you all right?" Wormmon asked, crawling into the room.  
  
Ria winced. "Yeah, I guess." She touched the bruise that was forming on her face. "It could have been worse."  
  
"A lot worse," Wormmon confirmed, glancing significantly at the scars running up her arms.  
  
Ria sighed. "I just wish she wouldn't use the sword. It's terribly dangerous." Silence. "Maybe that's why she likes it so. She always had a taste for blood."  
  
Wormmon nodded as Ria bent to pick him up. "I wish Ken-chan was here."  
  
"He'll be here," Ria assured the green worm. "So will all the rest of them. They aren't exactly powerless; she hasn't tried to capture the rest of their digimon."  
  
Wormmon snuggled against Ria's chest. "Why me, then?"  
  
Ria smiled gently down at him. "Maybe because you're so adorable, even she can't resist you." The blonde girl turned back to her mirror, which twisted into an image.  
  
A bad image.  
  
"Wormmon," she hissed. He looked up and gasped.  
  
"Ken-chan!"  
  
*  
  
The digidestined had been walking for only five minutes when they stumbled upon a clearing. They looked around silently, almost expecting a challenge.  
  
None came.  
  
Sora breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, we haven't been attacked."  
  
"All the challenge we need is finding the castle," Hikari reminded her friend.  
  
Iori silenced them with a wave of his hand. "This feels...wrong," he murmured.  
  
Ken nodded, still not speaking. Iori shot a look at him, and was surprised to see the boy's violet eyes widen in shock.  
  
"Iori, look out!" Taichi screamed. Ken threw himself forward, knocking himself and Iori to the ground as a huge claw shot into the space Iori had previously occupied. Both rolled out of the way and to their feet, gasping. The other digidestined scattered as the claw shot down again. "Machinedramon!" Jyou and Koushiro cried as the machine digimon attacked again.  
  
They managed to avoid it for a little while, but eventually Daisuke tripped and fell headlong into Yamato. They both tumbled to the ground. While they struggled to get up, Machinedramon prepared to strike...  
  
And didn't.  
  
"Hey!" Iori screamed from the opposite side of the clearing. The others looked at him and faded obediently into the foliage when he waved at them. Ken remained, pulling Yamato to his feet and then reaching down to grab Daisuke. Yamato dashed away at a signal from Iori, who was also pulling back into the more sheltered forest.  
  
Machinedramon wasn't fooled. His claw shot down, straight at Ken and Daisuke...  
  
  
Author's Notes: Next chapter, we resolve this lovely cliffhanger and get our first real glimpse of the power of Nexus Eliminus...  
Ken: ...you would dare to hurt me?  
I love to torture you. You know that.  
Casia: *seething* And what is with Ria and Wormmon? She's not going to fall in love with him, IS SHE?  
*sweatdrop* No, Casia, she isn't. She's thirteen; he's fifteen and in the form of an eleven-year-old.  
Casia: Alright. Don't scare me like that.  
Ken: ...I'm not okay.


End file.
